Yorkshire's Jack Brooks back to seal comprehensive victory over Derbyshire

Yorkshire reaped the benefits of recruiting bowlers over the winter with a stunning victory over Derbyshire in batting-friendly conditions.

On a pitch which generated 1,152 runs for 17 wickets, with Chesney Hughes and Joe Root both enjoying double centuries during the opening two innings, Derbyshire were dismissed for 163 on the final afternoon in 54.4 overs with their last seven wickets falling for 24 runs.

Their chief tormentor was Jack Brooks, signed from Northamptonshire during the winter and rested - a luxury afforded by Yorkshire’s winter recruitment drive - for last week’s win in Durham. He responded with a fiery spell to claim five for 16 in 44 balls.

“It was a pretty special performance to have 475 scored against us in the first innings and win by an innings,” beamed Jason Gillespie, Yorkshire’s coach, after watching a glorious advertisement for his rotation policy.

“Jack has had a week off, has come in fresh and got some wickets for us and made a real impact in the game and I’m really pleased with that.”

Derbyshire’s capitulation was all the more surprising for Yorkshire’s rapid progress at the start of the day. Resuming 122 runs ahead on 597 for five, they added 80 in the first 10 overs to record their highest score against Derbyshire, eclipsing the 662 recorded at Chesterfield in 1898, and their joint highest ever at Headingley.

That aggression earned them a 202-run lead and a minimum of 84 overs to try to win the game. Liam Plunkett, another winter recruit from Durham, claimed two important early wickets by removing Hughes and Shivnarine Chanderpaul to catches behind the wicket.

Brooks crucially ended the stubborn 92-run fourth wicket stand between Wayne Madsen and Wes Durston. He returned after tea to claim two wickets in as many balls, wrapping up the final three wickets for six runs in 20 balls.

“We’ve just come up from Division Two, but we’re not here to make up the numbers, we reckon we can win the league and these two wins have certainly helped us,” added Brooks, defiantly.